Why do you think this is perfect for 4 acres?

Where are your elevations?

without seeing elevations or understanding your family needs, I generally like this plan.

LIke: big open kitchen / dining / great-room, a fenced area for the dogs, the secondary entry, the large upstairs laundry

Ideas: I would ditch most of the double doors - eat up floor space, not efficient, no one ends up opening them both after that first time you do it "with a flourish", see if you can put a passthrough into the master closet from the laundry to save steps and possibly redesign the closets - the dimensions might be okay empty but get tight quick with clothes, and look at a simple redesign with less WIC and more accessible bathroom for that downstairs guest suite that could accommodate an aging parent or someone with a temporary disability. Lastly - focus on your kitchen functionality - it's LARGE and should function correctly for how you live.

I don't know much about plans, but I like the layout of this one. Like Janni, I like the space for the dogs and the large great room and kitchen. I also really like the large porch! For me, I would want to do the following...

Eliminate the french doors into the library and move the door up towards the "top" of the room. I'd eliminate one of the hall closets and make a closest inside the library. Depending how the closet is arranged, you'd have some additional wall space on that wall inside the library.

Upstairs, in the bathrooms for BR 3/4, you may want to watch the in-swing door into the bathrooms. Generally this isn't an issue, but since the toilet is directly in front of the door, it could be an issue if the occupant has a medical emergency and can't move - you wouldn't be able to open the door. You might could switch the toilet and sink?

In the master bath, will the tub be in the way of the two vanities? It looks like you could possibly have access issues with the side of each vanity closest to the tub. I know this will depend on the width of the tub, but something to consider.

The double bi-hinge doors on the upstairs bedrooms look awkward to me, but they may be fine in person.

What a lovely house. I like the plans, but the work triangle of the kitchen seems big. Can you relocate the refridgerator to the left of the sink? Or to the right of the range about 3 feet away?

What in the world are the white stairs in the upstairs hall? How do you get to the master suite?

The white stairs in the hallway lead to the attic. There is a door at the bottom of the hall that leads into the master bedroom.

Change the access to the guest bed/gym to off of the foyer. This would eliminate the hall allowing the bathroom and closet to be enlarged.

If the attic is going to be used for storage only consider a pull down stair located in the hallway instead of a full extra set of stairs.

my great room dining room is 27X20 and is "smaller than i expected" if you often have guests as we do, mark off an area that size and try placing your "furniture" in it when we have guests it is usually 8 to 10 people -- which is not a lot, but we have hosted 26 using the wrap around screened porch -but that was tight our kitchen is 17x20, open to the great room dining room and that was used too i'm just saying try it on for size...

I hate, hate, hate the powder room that opens right into the great room/dining room. Nobody should ever, ever be seen entering nor emerging directly from the toilet. There is absolutely no way to discretely use the bathroom when it's in full view like that. And the noises people make while using the bathroom cannot be masked when it's that close to everyone.

Be civilized. and move that powder room to the mudroom area.

I disagree about using pull-down steps to the attic. I've had both and if one is flooring in an attic for storage in an existing house, then obviously, pull-down stairs are the way to go. But in a new build I would absolutely have a stairway. It gives you far more flexibility if someday you wish to finish this area, and it is MUCH easier getting things up to the attic to store. Do it while you are building!

I have some concerns about the Library. There is no fireplace and nothing architecturally that would make me want to use that room. Will it ever be used? If possible, add a small fireplace or wood stove. I know it's AL, but you do have some form of winter there

Yes, powder room must be remedied.

Hi Kher - congratulations on your future home ! I agree with the majority that feel it's a pretty nice layout. I highly recommend that you get furniture drawn up, to scale, in all of the rooms on your drawings and make sure that the room sizes are going to work well for you.

Looks good!

Consider switching to a single front door and sidelights. Double doors on even estate size homes are becoming passe. Perhaps pretentious on a farmhouse.

Agree with ss architects above on changing entry to the guest bed/gym.

Powder room is fine where it is. A fan, solid-core door and some sound deadening will do wonders. Of course, a privy would cure the concerns of (gasp!) doing that indoors.

Nice plan! If you wanted access to the laundry room from the master, maybe switch the shower and the WIC. Combine the laundry WIC and the master bath WIC and get access that way.

Maybe move the door in baths in bedrooms 3 & 4 to in front of the sink. That way you wouldn't see the toilet and it will be easier to get to the shower. You will also have more wall continuous wall space in the bedroom.

Looks like you will have lots of storage in your house and I love all the windows. It's going to be a nice house :-)

I love the elevations.

I cant help but wonder if the master bathroom needs rearranging. The toilet is pretty far from the bed and the smaller closet seems kind of oddly placed. I might try to rearrange things.

I personally would not want pull down stairs. My friends have this and there was some kind of accident recently . I dont remember the exact details but someone was very lucky they weren’t more seriously hurt - I think the stairs fell out and hit someone in the head or something similar.

I rarely find a plan that I would change nothing on, but here is one. Nice work. Access from master bath to laundry would be dreamy but not a deal breaker and the powder room is perfectly fine where it is.

20x27 is a nice big area for hosting sit down meals. With two sofas, three chairs, two dressers, a queen size bed, a desk and a woodstove we can still fit tables and chairs to seat 20 adults in our 30x20 living room. (We are temporarily sleeping in the LR while the master is renovated. Happily, while eating dinner our family doesn't mind looking at the evidence that we sleep!)

I’d remove the display space upstairs so you can get some double doors on the linen closet, making it easily accessible.

I agree with opening the guest room off the foyer. I would also switch master bath and closet and put a door to the laundry. I agree with suru11 about the bedroom 3&4 baths. I would want the door on the end closest to the closet. That way you would not be looking into the bath wherever you placed the bed.

I'm curious how the master tub sits. Looks like it's on top of the chimney (and has windows on the wall above it)? Is that a wood burning fireplace? Just wondering how the fireplace venting will work. Maybe not an issue.

Is the only exterior door for the mudroom through the dogs' fenced area? Not sure I'd like that - would want easy access for kids or anyone working outside. Even if people can easily walk through the fenced area, you'll want to be careful where you step, maybe. The dog area is outside, yes? If so, some windows on that side of the kitchen are possible and would be great.

Where is the garage? Maybe you'll come in with groceries etc. through that door on the porch, and that's how you'd get into the mudroom.

Be sure to check your aisle spaces in the kitchen, particularly across from the refrigerator, and check the specs for your fridge. (Even counter-depth are deeper than cabinets, and many require an inch of space behind for ventilation.) Post on the Kitchens forum with all dimensions (inc. aisles) for good layout advice.

I disagree with placing a fireplace in the library and love the wall of windows that you see when entering. What a stunning room this would be! My favorite in this house.

No need to spend $$$ on a fireplace in Alabama just to look at it.

Generally this looks like a very nice plan.

In the kitchen I would move your refrigerator to the back wall w/ the range.

Upstairs the hallway linen is a little weird. I would shorten it up and add a small nook in bedroom #3.

Nice plan.

Kitchen: I understand hussaon's concern about the work triangle in the kitchen, but I think the best solution is a prep sink in the island, rather than moving the refrigerator. With a prep sink in the island, the kitchen will function beautifully.

For the upstairs bedroom closets, you might want to make sure that the closet doors allow access to the sides of the closet--it looks like there's blind corners.

For the master bedroom closet, a closet less than 6-7" doesn't make a good walkin--it's really more of a reach in.

I disagree with the idea of moving one of the foyer closets to face into the library--that would limit furniture placement more than having them open into the hall. Hall closets don't bother me :-)

Is there a detached garage or car port? Where will you most frequently enter the house?

Enjoy your build.

The tub in the master bath is above the fireplace. However, we are considering to remove the fireplace in the living room. In our current house we have only used our fireplace twice in 10 years, and one of those times was just to see if it still worked! It rarely drops below the 30's here and the fireplace just takes up wall space.

The garage will be detached. There is a second entry door by the pantry leading outside onto the wraparound porch, and that will be our primary entry. We won't be arriving via the dog's land mines. ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep it coming!

I came across this kitchen photo on Houzz, and really love it. Unfortunatley, the dimensions were not given. :(

https://www.houzz.com/photos/2017-kitchen-and-bath-photo-shoot-for-premier-surfaces-and-loudermilk-homes-transitional-kitchen-atlanta-phvw-vp~88141234 

Looks nice, but it needs a prep sink, too.

I would guess that that kitchen is 17' across the back wall based on the knowledge that they used a 36" range, base cabinets on either end are 2', and they appear to have a 1' pull out either side of range flanked by 4(2' wide base cabinets). They could also be 30" base cabinets in which case that would increase the width to 19'.

Congratulations on your upcoming new build! Looks like you have a really nice plan. I have a couple of suggestions (some of which are also above) - with some attached pics for illustration.

- 1st floor guest bath/closet: I would try to rearrange this space - 1) so the toilet isn't on the GR wall (not very private) and 2) so the shower isn't completely hidden behind the door (awkward)

- Master bath/closet: Given that you have that enormous linen closet in the hallway + space for lots of storage solutions in the laundry room (drawn is 24" deep lowers with upper cabinets), could the space of the closet in the LR be used for the Master? I've also moved the water closet closer to the bedroom (otherwise it's like a 25' walk). An arrangement like this keeps the closets ~together and the wet-parts of the bathroom together (no walking past the shower to get to a closet). As well, the bathtub/shower/vanities are in the corner so lots of opportunities for windows and light

- Other upstairs bathrooms: this was suggested above by bethA and suru11 - move the bathroom doors to in front of the vanities instead of the toilets (safety and visually more appealing)

- Kitchen: I agree this could use some work - do you have a microwave? (drawer? wall mounted?) coffee station? wall ovens? warming drawers? You have space for all of these, but you should definitely work on this layout asap. Also, I would look to add a prep sink in the island to really up the functionality

Damiarain, I really like how you redid the master bathroom. I had not considered a corner vanity. Thanks!

Nice. I didn't read all of the comments but just wanted to add that you need to think about how you are going to vent your range.

Who will live in the home? Children? Ages? Does anyone work from home? If you have kids, do they do their own laundry? While the laundry room is close to the source, if you are downstairs most of the day you are running up and down to start, shift, and remove dry clothes. If you have children who do their own laundry and sports gear, though, well, they are young and spry to have at it,

My main thought, though, is that there is no circulation in the plan, there is only one way to get from one place to another.

Why not have the attic stairs above the main stairs? Seems like it would save a lot of space. The door would be outside the master bedroom.

Would you consider "flipping" the kid bathrooms so that the tubs are on the outside wall? This moves the bathroom door closer to the bedroom door, and may make furniture placement much easier and more flexible in the bedrooms.

I like the idea of flipping the kid bathrooms--they'll be exactly the same functionality but will make the room layout more flexible.

Great basic plan.

Very much like the space between the children's bedrooms and the master bedroom. Privacy.

Don't care for the Master Bath, especially the absence of elbow room at the toilet (handicap use issue and cleaning day nightmare) or for what I'd view as the wasted space by having tub/shower separate since it's very unlikely you'd use both at the same time-- water pressure issues all but inevitable; those that want a long soak in the tub usually want peace and quiet and solitude. Such things are mostly a matter of personal taste.

A gambrel/barnstyle roof would create more usable space in that third floor attic playroom and better enable you to add natural light to that space via dormers.

http://dzuls.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/gambrel-roof-truss-plans-1024x567.jpg

Your (initially unfinished?) attic could be the about the same size as your other two floors because the steep side of a gambrel/barnstyle roof on the front of the house would cover your entire front porch (and a part of the guest bedroom) and the back steep part of the roof could cover full length porch -- one extending all across the back of the house.

Put the door to the guest bedroom from the foyer and NO door to it from the living room -- certainly not one that is beside the guest bathroom.

You want to keep bathroom smells away from the living room -- not open a door to them. That also applies to the powder room. You should definitely change out the powder room, mudroom, laundry, pet area.

You could put the mudroom door (half/half door) from the kitchen through the wall against which you have a stovetop -- it would be directly across from the space between the island and the refrigerator. Yes, it would decrease your countertop there by a few feet but would add a few feet beside the refrigerator -- which, I believe, would be more useful.

Where the powder room is now shown could become much needed storage space for luggage and a vac cleaner, etc. -- stuff you don't really want to take up space in your clothes closets.

Moving the door of the mudroom would enable you to put your powder room in the end of the mudroom, enabling you to have a larger powder room and no need for a sink in the mudroom itself -- you'd only need built in storage on the kitchen side of the mudroom. With the less crowded mud room, you could leave the outside wall clear for other options such as a bench and/or a toy box and/or hat rack and/or hall tree.

With the powder room at the end of the mudroom, you could add a window -- perhaps a small round or oval or octagon shaped one with frosted or stained glass -- for much need ventilation and your powder room smells would be farther from your living room.

You could wrap a screened porch (w/shed roof) around that back right corner of your home from the new location of the mudroom door all the way to and over the back door of the kitchen (covered by the steep gambrel/barn roof or just continue the shed roof). You could add an unscreened porch behind the living and dining area, adding a pair of quality sliding patio doors there.

You could include a pet door in the mudroom door to the back screened porch

Thanks you all for the feedback! It has been wonderful. I can't wait to show the changes to the design-builder!!! :)

Version 1

Version 2

Do you really want guests to walk through a potentially messy or cluttered mud room to use the powder room, though?

Also, I’d make the guest closet smaller and the bathroom larger. If you’re going to have a ground floor guest space, much better to have it as accessible as possible so if anyone does have an issue and needs the ground floor access (injury, age, illness, etc.) the bathroom doesn’t become a problem. It needn’t be fully accessible even for a wheelchair user, but I’d try to make it large enough to allow for someone needing crutches or a walker or a care giver helping with bathroom tasks. Plus there’s already a massive linen closet upstairs, and an attic. That much space for storage off the guest room seems a waste.

In the library I do think you need to add something more for architectural interest - I’d do a full wall of shelving with nice details if you don’t care for a fireplace. You might have to adjust the window placement just slightly to give you depth for that along the top wall of the library, but I think it’d give the room character.

I think the ground floor plan is just fine. I prefer not having the entrance to the Guest/Gym right in the entrance at the bottom of the stairs.

I think the Master Bath could be improved upon, but the two latest versions are not improvements. The symmetry of the original is nice, although it bothers me that the shower is off-center. I think it would be an improvement to get the toilet closer to the bedroom and to get the closet out of the bathroom. I don't think a walk-through closet between Laundry and Master Bath is a great idea.

Fireplaces are nice, even if you don't use them :) !

Do you really want guests to walk through a potentially messy or cluttered mud room to use the powder room, though?

Thanks for asking this. No, I would not want people entering the house and seeing piles and piles of coats, shoes, backpacks, etc scattered about. Our current home has no mudroom, and we enter through the front door, since the garage is being use as a workshop. The formal dining room has been converted to our mudroom. I've gotten use to it, but is it a problem.

version 3

We're meeting with the design-builder in a few days, so yay!

Really like your kitchen. Lot’s of long runs of counter space.

I would not move the refrigerator to the wall where your sink is (as some here have suggested). I think that would close in your sink area....it’s nice to have lots of counter space by the sink and be able to spread out. I also believe moving it there would take away from the open spacious feel of the triple window above your sink. If you added a small prep sink to your island (near the fridge), or installed one about 3.5 - 4 feet to the right of your stove, it would make for a great prep area. I like to have a small sink near my stove, because I find that I go from the fridge, to the sink, to a cutting board next to that sink, and then to the stove when I cook. Placement though, all depends on how YOU work in the kitchen.

In Version 3, the mudroom is not good because it is not on the way to the rest of the house. Anyone would have to go into the mudroom and then backtrack to come back out... I would just be dropping my stuff in the doorway instead of entering the mudroom.

I don’t understand why some posters above thought the powder room off the foyer was too exposed. I don’t think it is at all. It’s not like people hang out in the foyer while someone uses the bathroom. Better there for guests than in your more private mudroom area, with guests navigating through the kitchen.

For the kitchen , you need the kitchen forum.

I suppose it depends on your guests, but I like the guest suite entry right by the front door, of the available options. Many of our guests stay with us for a couple weeks at a time (international travel) so they do end up doing their own thing, and sometimes use us as a base of operations to do day trips elsewhere. As it is now our guest room is on the top floor and you can hear someone going up and down, so it feels a bit awkward if someone has to get up quite early or gets home late because it potentially disturbs the whole house. Having the guest suite close to an entry door means if your guests are the sort to be out independently, you can just give them a key and they don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone with their schedule. It also works better if you end up with an elderly relative living with you, for similar reasons - they should as much as possible have their own lives without every activity being monitored, and with the guest suite off the great room I feel like a guest or parent would feel very much on display going in or out of the room.

(That applies for the room used as a gym, too - if you’ve been in the gym exercising and get all sweaty and gross, and someone has guests - even kids’ friends - in the great room who wants to have to run the gauntlet to get to a bedroom to change? Even if you take a quick shower in the en suite, you’re not going to want to have to keep a full change of clothes in the gym.)

I also like the entry location from the point of view of future flexibility. The room is nicely placed to serve as a home office, especially if someone occasionally meets with clients, since it’s right by the door, has good storage, and has a private bathroom so clients don’t have to go tramping through the rest of the house.

And ultimately you could kind of pretend the bathroom and storage aren’t really there (keep the doors closed) and use that space as a formal dining room or sitting room if you really wanted, too.

The wall the library shares with the mudroom is the one where I’d put a solid wall of built-in bookshelves, so I’d double check on the plan that there’s enough room for shelves before you hit the window on the outside wall there. It’s not a huge adjustment at this stage, but trying to figure out how the shelving should end when there isn’t enough room due to an adjacent window usually ends up with some kind of funky looking compromise. Even if you don’t want to put in the shelving yourself, I’d make the adjustment if needed now so that there’s no issue in the future if you change your mind.

I like the new placement of the powder room - right by the door for someone coming in from outside just to use the toilet and go back out (no running through the house with dirty shoes) and easy enough for guests to get to, but not right on display and no need to go through what will probably be one of the more chaotic areas of the house - just shut the door on the mudroom if you have guests. The only thing is I’d tape out or preferably build (with cardboard boxes or furniture) the mudroom itself to make sure it’s not too narrow to function well. Just set up a space with something to stand in for walls and cubbies or whatever you plan to have, then get your family together to pretend like you’re getting ready to go out or are coming home on a day with bad weather. Make sure people don’t have to squish past each other, that sort of thing. (Remember kids grow when doing this, so even if it works with a tiny 2nd grader, will it still work if you’re in the house when the kid is 13 and growing like a weed?)

While you’re checking dimensions, also look carefully at the linen closet and the barn door arrangement you want there. That seems like a good potential point of confusion as to how you want the doors to behave (do you want to be able to open them completely, or is it okay if they overlap the opening or you can only open one side at a time? Etc.) so you should take the time now to consider it carefully and then make sure your designer/architect/contractor are all on the same page.

Oh, and check the dimensions of the hallway in the master suite. It’s a bit long and long hallways can feel narrower than they are - you may want to see if you can squeeze a couple more inches for that, too, depending. This is another good time to actually ‘build’ a mock up of the space with furniture and sheets of cardboard or something, if you don’t have a similar space in your current home.